Professor receives EU funding for research on miniature pig models
Professor Yonglun Luo from the Department of Biomedicine and Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus has received approximately DKK 5.7 million as part of a major EU-funded research project focused on animal welfare.
The project, NHPig, has a total budget of €17.5 million and involves 27 international collaborators, led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany and Novo Nordisk A/S in Denmark.
The goal of this project is to revolutionize the safety assessments of new drugs by using mini- and micro-pig models. These miniature pigs have the potential to replace non-human primates in laboratory experiments, which will not only improve research but also enhance animal welfare.
“The project is a fantastic opportunity to continue our longstanding work with miniature pigs in areas such as disease modeling and organ transplantation. We are working to reduce and refine the use of animals in research and to promote ethically sound methods when animals are necessary,” says Professor Yonglun Luo.
NHPig is funded by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU), which receives support from the EU’s Horizon Europe program and several industrial partners, including Novo Nordisk, EFPIA, and MedTech Europe. Professor Yonglun Luo emphasizes the importance of international collaboration:
“It is inspiring to work with some of the world’s leading experts. Together, we can expand our understanding of miniature pig models and their relevance to human medicine. This project represents a significant step forward for both science and animal ethics in the EU.”
Contact
Professor Yonglun Luo
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine – DANDRITE and
Aarhus University Hospital, Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus
Phone: +4522411944
Email: alun@biomed.au.dk